(The Echo is Toyota's new entry-level vehicle and it's targeting the
kid market, ages 18 to 29 says Matt Hagin. Bob Hagin recalls that when
the first "entry-level" Toyota appeared here, he was a "kid" himself.)

MATT - Toyota is concerned that its customers are aging and that
their children are growing up without Toyota brand loyalty. The Baby
Boomers are more interested in looking sharp and driving fast, while
their offspring are into practicality and protecting the environment,
according to Toyota research. The new Echo is the result of its
interpretation of what the up-and-comers want. The concept is very
popular both in Japan and in Europe. Vehicles that are economical, easy
to get into and out of and are easy to maneuver and park are the most
popular. Other automakers are onto this and there's already a domestic
that's going for a piece of this upcoming market niche.

BOB - The Echo is the kind of car that takes some getting used to
and its parameters remind me a lot of the British and European sedans
that were brought over here in the late '40s and early '50s. They were
tall and relatively easy and inexpensive to drive compared to the
behemoths that American automakers produced. The Echo is built along
these lines, but it takes advantage of modern technology. The engine is
pretty small at 1.5 liters, but it uses a twin-cam head with four valves
per cylinder and a variable valve timing system. It has a relatively
long piston stroke, too, and the combination results in 108 horsepower
and 105 pound-feet of torque. At 34 MPG around town and 41 on the
highway, fuel mileage is excellent for a car that will comfortably seat
four adults and still stay up with traffic.

MATT - The transmission in our test machine was a five-speed manual
and that probably accounts for a big reason behind that high fuel
mileage. With a manual gearbox, Echo's driver can keep the engine within
its maximum power range during acceleration, but keep the revs down on
in fifth on the freeway for better gas mileage. There's also a four-
speed automatic available and although it's not as sporting as the
manual, it will no doubt be chosen by the vast majority of future Echo
buyers. I found the engine became somewhat "buzzy" at high RPMs. The
instrument panel amounts to a "pod" right in the center of the dash
between the driver and front passenger. It's angled toward the driver's
seat, though, and it obviously wouldn't take much to flip it toward the
right side for right-hand-drive countries. It's obviously a move to make
this platform and body style a "world car," and it's working well. A
tachometer would have made it easier to stay on the power-band as we
drove through the mountains but I guess eliminating a tach is part of
Toyota's program of making this "entry-level" car more affordable.

BOB - Echo can be dressed-up with/ lots of equipment, Matt. In the
case of the car we tried for a week, it was fitted with enough fancy
items to add quite a bit to the base price of the car. For the Gen-X
market group, having a deluxe sound system with six speakers is more
important that having a tach, a temperature warning gauge and a charging
system meter. In fact, the Echo probably doesn't need those items
because one of Toyota's greatest strengths is its reputation for
reliability. The suspension system is very straight forward and
relatively inexpensive, too. The front end uses MacPherson struts and
the rear layout is hung on a simple twist-beam axle. The combination of
disc brakes in front and drum brakes in the rear is also an economy
measure, but I feel that disc brakes all the way around is worth extra
money.

MATT - Dad, this car is so light, it doesn't need better brakes. But
it's going to be interesting to see if the internet generation will pass
on fancy esthetics and go for practical cars like the Echo.

BOB - All Toyota has to do is slap on some cool graphics and it will
sell like crazy.

MATT - Dad, this isn't 1960. Young people are much more
sophisticated these days. Goofy car graphics went out with paisley ties,
go-go dancers and bell-bottoms pants.